Artificial hand



0. LE G. DILWORTH.

ARTIFICIAL HAND.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.3I, 1920.

1,415,809. v I Patented May 9,1922

Y QJZM/VEY' OTTO LE GRAND DILWORTH, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

an'rrrrcmn HAND. r

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1922.

, Application filedAugust 31, 1920. Serial No. 407,200.

T 0 alt whom it may concem t Be it knownthat I, Once Ln GniNI) DIL- woRrH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Artificial Hand, of

which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to the class of de-.

vices thatare used in the place of ampus.

tated hands, and an object of my invention, amongothers, is to provide a device of this class that shall be extremely useful. and that shall be readily manipulated for the pur poses for which it is designed.

One form of device embodying my invention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a view in elevation of my improved artificial hand.

Figure 2 is a similar view, but looking in a direction at right angles to the line of View of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but with parts broken away to show construction.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 5 indicates a socket that 1s adapted to be fastened to the stump of an amputated arm in a manner that will be readily understood and that is provided at its end with means for attachment thereto of my improved artificial hand. In the construe. tion herein shown a socket piece 6 is secured to the socket member 5 in any suitable manner and has a screw threaded socket within, which a screw threaded stub 7 fits.

My improved hand comprises a rigid fin-- ger member 8 from which the stub 7 projects, and a swinging finger member 9 piv-- otally attached to the rigid member, both of said parts having hooks 1011 at their outer ends and of substantially the same shape and positioned to fit one another, and s between which fingers articles may be grasped and held.

The base 12 of the ri id member or finger has a hole 13 exten mg inwardly from one end, said holecontaining a cup 14: within which a spring 17 is seated, the opposite end of the spring pressing against a retaining plate 15 fitting the screw threaded stub 7 and held against turning by a lock screw. The cup 14: is pressed against a pin 19 connecting two finger operating levers 20 near one end-of each of said levers, their opposite ends being pivotally connected to the swinging finger 9. The pin 19 is located to movein slots 21 formed. through the base 12 and intersecting the hole 13, said slots being arranged in any desired manner so that a movement of the levers, and consequently the pin along the slots, will. cause a swinging movement ofthe finger 9. These slots are also so disposed as to lock the swinging finger and prevent its movement by reason of force applied thereto. That is, when an article is grasped between the fingers it will be securely held thereby and any amount of power applied to separate the fingers will be insufficient to loosen their grasp upon said article.

The adjacent edges of the inner ends of the fingers are shaped to provide an opening 22, as shown in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, through or within which opening the end of an article, as the handle of a knife or fork, held by the fingers may be thrust. The ends of the pin 19 are provided with buttons 23 to receive a cord, strap or other flexible connection that may extend to the shoulder or other part of the person of the wearer for operation of the swinging finger thereby in a manner that will be readily understood.

The ends of the lovers 20 are joined by a bar 16 within which a clamping screw 18 is screw threaded, the inner end of said screw-v thrusting against a beveled clamping surface on a lug 24 projecting from, the side of the rigid finger member 8.

The slots 21 are made slightly larger than the pin 19 so that when the clamp screw 18 is turned inwardly againstthe lug 24; force will be applied to the pivot of the levers 20 and said clamp screw will thus operate to tightly clamp any article held between the hooks 10 and 11, thus adding to the clamping feature obtained by the spring 17.

I claim- 1. An artificial hand comprising a rigid finger, a swinging finger movably supported by said rigid finger, an operating member connecting said fingers and means to lock the swinging finger against opening movement in any position in which said operating member may be normally placed.

2. An artificial hand comprising a rigid finger, a swinging finger movably supported. by the rigid finger, a lever pivotally at taehed to one of said fingers and in movable contact with an abutment on the other finger, whereby movement of said lever with respect to sa1d abutment Wlll cause a swinging movement of said finger, and means for operating said lever.

3. An artificial hand comprising a rigid finger, a swin ing finger movably supported by the rigid inger, one of said fingers having a slot, a lever pivotally attached to the other of said fingers and having a projection extending into said slot, and means for operating said lever.

4. An artificial hand comprising a rigid finger, a swinging; finger pivotally attached to the rigid finger, a lever pivotally attached to the swinging finger and with its end in movable contact with a guide. abutment on the rigid finger, whereby movement of said lever with respect to said abutment W111 cause swinging movement of said A means for opin'uting pin projecting from the end of: said lerer into said slot, and a button located on said lever for attachment of an actuating member.

OTTO LE GRAND DILXVORTH. 

